Apparatus for inserting cards



y 1966 H. WALDENBURGER 3,261,602

APPARATUS FOR INSERTING CARDS Filed March 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR H'RMAA/N WA OEIVJURGIR BY @w 4 ATTORNEY y 1956 H. WALDENBURGER3,261,602

APPARATUS FOR INSERTING CARDS z SheetS Sheet 2 Filed March 30, 1964INVENTOR HERMAMV NAlOEA/GURGER Fig.5

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,261,602 APPARATUS FOR INSERTING CARDSHermann Waldenburger, Pforzen, near Kaufbeuren, Germany, assignor toInternational Standard Electric Corporation, New York, N.Y., acorporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 355,866 Claimspriority, application Germany, Apr. 13, 1963, St 20,508 9 Claims. (Cl.271-51) This invention relates to apparatus for the automatic feeding orinsertion of flat items such as cards, and, more particularly, toapparatus for inserting or feeding one flat item at a time.

Many arrangements are known for feeding flat items one at a time. Knownarrangements are relatively expensive due to the use of mechanical andelectromechanical devices such as electromagnetically actuated feedrollers and photoelectric devices for controlling the feed rollers. Inone known arrangement, the rollers seize a card when it is inserted. Thephotocells sense the card and inhibit the entry of another card untilthe seized card has been fed to a further conveyance or a step-by-stepfeeding device in the case of punched cards. Other known arrangementsdepend on an operator to feed cards in singly and at a minimum rate.

All of these disadvantages are avoided by the arrangement .according tothe present invention which, at a minimum expenditure on mechanical andelectrical means, provides for an extensively reliable operation. Theinvention is characterized by the fact that the distance between thecenter of the feed roller of the quick insertion and the center of theevaluating device is shorter than the length of one punched card, andthat over both there extends a rocker which, from a neutral initialposition is unblocked by the insertion of a punched card and presses thelatter against the feed roller. The rocker retains this position untilthe previously transported card, by meeting against a stop limit,completes the circuit of a control magnet which, in turn, tilts therockerinto a position in which the punched card is brought intoengagement with the step-wise advanceable feed device. The rocker is nowheld in this position until, by the end of the card, a sensing lever isreleased for interrupting the circuit of the said control magnet, thuspermitting the rocker to return to its neutral initial position.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this inventionwill become more apparent by reference to the following descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an arrangement according to my inven tion in theready-to-operate normal position, which is particularly adapted tooperate with slotted or edgecoded cards provided with feed holes;

FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of FIG. 1 at the moment in which theinserted punched card has assumed the proper position in relation to thesensing or scanning device;

FIG. 3 shows the arrangement according to FIG. 1 in the condition wherethe punched cards are evaluated;

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the arrangement according to FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 shows the circuit arrangement of the control magnet of myinventive arrangement.

In the following example the arrangement according to the invention isadapted to the processing of slotted or edge-coded cards which areprovided with feed holes. The special construction which is required onaccount of this fact, however, does not prevent the arrangement, bymaintaining its characteristic features, from being designed capable ofprocessing also normal types of punched cards without feed holes orsimilar types of flat items.

As may be seen in FIG. 1, the arrangement according to the invention isprovided with a feed roller 4 which is continuously rotated in thedirection indicated by the arrow. The feed roller 4 may 'be providedwith a rubber coating. Roller 4, according to its function as ahighspeed or quick insertion device, has a relatively highcircumferential speed. Between it and the beaded sprocket wheel 19,which is part of the not shown stepping device, there is a distancewhich is shorter than the length of the cards to be inserted. The twofeed members 4 and 19 are so ararnged in the conventional way opposite aguiding table 8, that they project from below it through recesses, andin accordance with their function, above the upper surface of the table.The position of the two elements 4 and 19 in relation to the fixedposition of the table is un-changeable. According to FIG. 4 the rearlongitudinal edge of guiding table 8 is in alignment with a verticalguide sheet 30 which, simultaneously, may form part of the housing ofthe equipment. For reasons of clarity this part has been omitted inFIGS. 1-3.

Rocker 1 is arranged over the two feed members 4 and 19. This rocker ispivoted on a firmly arranged bolt 2. The arrangement of the rocker 1 isthat it, in the neutral initial position as shown in FIG. 1, is sopositioned over the feed members 4 and 19, that between thecircumference thereof and the bottom side of the rocker 1 there is adistance permitting the free insertion of a single punched card. Rocker1 is acted upon by a spring 3 which urges the rocker into a counterposition against feed roller 4. According to FIG. 1, this is preventedby a locking lever 5 which is designed in accordance with FIG. 4, andwhich, under the action of the spring 7, always tends to assume theposition as shown in FIG. 1, in which the lever 5 with its face edge 11,comes to lie underneath the blocking bolt 6 of the rocker 1. Its otherend, according to FIGS. 1 and 4, extends through the opening 9 of thesupporting wall 8a extending rectangularly in relation to the supportingtable 8, and projects upwards through the supporting table 8 to such anextent into slot 10 of rocker 1, that the inclined portion 29, in itslower half, constitutes an acute angle with the bottom side of therocker.

Rocker 1 is connected to a switching rod 12 by means of pin 13. One endof switching rod 12 is in a formlocking connection with the armature 24of a control magnet 23. Armature 24 controls contact 25 which is closedwhen the armature is in the attracted condition. At its upper end theswitching rod 12 is provided with a rectangularly bent extension 12awhich is provided with an adjusting or set screw 14. Below the setscrew, stationarily supported, there is arranged a contact 17 which, viaa switching spring 18, is capable of being actuated in such a way thatthe contact is only closed when the switching spring is not actuated.According to FIG. 1, the contact 17 is opened, because the switchingspring 18 with its front beaded end, is held downwards by the actuatingportion 26 of limit-stop lever 15. Limit-stop lever 15 is pivotablymounted and is connected to spring 16 which establishes the normalposition shown in FIG. 1. The actual limit stop 28 of lever 15 isset-01f at the side according to FIG. 4. It projects through the guidesheet 30 into the plane of the rocker 1. Both the length and the widthof the limit stop 28 are chosen so that it, throughout the width of therocker 1, projects to such an extent downwards over the latter, that inthe position of the rocker 1 shown in FIG. 2, there is provided areliable limit stop for an inserted punched card, but that a release ofthe punched card is effected whenever the card has assumed the positionas shown in FIG. 3. The swivel range of the lever 15 or its limit stop28 respec- 3 tively, is determined by an adjustable limiting member 27.

Below the guide table 8 there is rotatably arranged a sensing lever 20which, according to FIG. 1, is pulled with its lower arm against a limitstop 29 by the action of spring 22. To this lever arm there is assigneda contact 21 which is open in the aforementioned position of the sensinglever 20. The upper arm of the lever 20 projects slantingly through anopening of the guide table 8 in the upward direction. At its upper endlever 20 is designed in such a way that an inserted punched card ispushed by it over the beaded sprocket wheel 19. Within the range ofaction of the sensing lever 20 and of the beaded sprocket wheel 19, therocker 1 according to FIG. 4 is provided with slot-like recesses 33 and34.

The operation of my apparatus will now be described. Starting out fromthe normal position of the arrangement as shown in FIG. 1, and uponswitching-on, the feed roller 4 is caused to rotate in the direction asindicated by the arrow. Upon insertion of the first card, the lattermeets against the inclined portion 29 of the lever 5 and presses it awayin the downward direction. On account of this the supporting surface 11is withdrawn from the blocking bolt 6, and the rocker 1, by the actionof the spring 3, is caused to swing down so that the punched card ispressed against the rotating feed roller 4 causing the card to be pulledinto the arrangement. This pull-in process is performed relativelyquickly on account of the circumferential speed of the roller. Accordingto FIG. 4 the driving shaft of the feed roller 4 is slantingly arrangedwith respect to the vertical line by the amount of the angle 0:. Onaccount of this, a card is always caused to meet against the guide sheet30, irrespectively of whether the card is inserted straight orslantingly. Moreover, this arrangement does not require any specialguiding devices.

After the pulling-in of the card 32, the latter moves over the sensinglever 20 permitting the card to slide over the beaded sprocket wheel 19so that it reaches the position shown in FIG. 2 in which the card 32, bythe action of the drive 4, swivels limit stop 28 in opposition to theaction of the spring 16, until meeting against the limit stop (limitingdevice) 27. This, in turn, causes the switching spring 18 to be releasedfrom the actuating portion 26, so that contact 17 closes. According toFIG. 5, this contact is arranged in series with the control magnet 23and a voltage potential is maintained across the series connection sothat the magnet will attract and, via the switching rod 12, pull rocker1 into the other operating position, in which the punched card 32 isreleased from the drive by the feed roller 4, for being engaged to thebeaded sprocket Wheel 19 of the evaluating station ahead.

Since the punched cards intended for being fed by the action of beadedsprocket Wheels, are ones which are provided from the beginning withfeed holes 31 (FIG. 4), it is necessary that the beaded sprocket wheel,when engaging the card, exactly seizes the feed holes. Moreover,practice has shown that there exists the danger of a tearing-out of theperforation whenever the pins of the sprocket wheel seize the first feedhole because the strap is very narrow (FIG. 4). For this reason it isdesired that the card is always brought into engagement with thesprocket wheel via its second or third feed hole. This requirement hasbeen considered in the construction as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 in such away that the punched card 32 according to FIG. 2 passes over the centerof the sprocket wheel by the amount x. This amount x, according to FIG.4, equals the distance of the third feed hole 31 from the front edge ofthe card. The respective adjustment is effected via the correspondinglyadjustable limiting device 27.

The sprocket wheel 19 which is at a standstill at this particular timeposition, is so adjusted that one of its feed pins will point verticallyupwards so that the latter (FIG. 3), upon attraction of control magnet23 will engage the feed hole of the punched card 32 which is presseddown by rocker 1. Also, the sensing lever 20 is turned in opposition tothe action of its spring 22, thus closing the contact 21 assignedthereto. At the same time there is effected a reopening of the contact17 because the set screw 14 in the projecting portion 12a of theswitching rod 12 causes a pressing-down of the switching spring 18 bythe attracting motion of the magnet armature 24 which thus also actuatesits contact 25. The set screw 14 is adjusted in such a way that thecontact 17 is only open after the contact 21 has closed. According toFIG. 5 it is safeguarded in this way that the control magnet 23 iscontinuously energized. By the action of the contact 25 the (not shown)stepping mechanism of the sprocket wheel 19 is switched on and thelikewise not shown evaluating device is released, with the lattereffecting the sensing of the perforation of the punched card 32 which isadvanced in a step-by-step manner by the sprocket wheel 19.

By the pressing-down of the punched card 32 the limit stop 28 isreleased again, and will return to its normal position due to the actionof its spring 16. Since the switching spring 18 is still held down atthis particular time position by the set screw 14, the projectingportion 26 can freely proceed to the blocking position.

Due to the step-wise evaluation of the punched card 32, the latterslowly travels through the evaluating station, so that the blockinglever 5 is the first one to be released, moving with its portion 11 intothe path of the blocking bolt 6. However, if a new card is insertedimmediately, then this presetting with respect to the normal position iscancelled again. By the action of the spring 7 acting upon the blockinglever 5, the newly inserted card is pressed against the bottom of therocker 1, thus preventing the card from contacting the continuouslyrotating feed roller 4.

As soon as the punched card 32, after having been completely evaluatedfinally reaches a position in which the sensing lever 20 is released,the contact 21 is opened on account of the fact that the lever 20 ismoved by spring 22 back to its normal position, so that in accordancewith FIG. 5 the magnet 23 is deenergized, and the armature 24 drops off.A further stepping-on is prevented due to the release of contact 25.

Upon release of the armature 24 the rocker 1, by the action of thespring 3, either jumps back into its neutral initial position, in whichthe blocking bolt 6 comes to rest on the face side 11 of the lever, orelse the rocker is tilted at once into the operating position shown inFIG. 2, if another punched card has been inserted prior thereto.

As already mentioned hereinbefore, the above described arrangement mayalso be designed for the use with punched cards without feed holes. Inthis case the sprocket-wheel feed merely has to be replaced by afriction-roller feed. This also may require that the slot-like opening34 in the rocker 1 is replaced by a press-on roller corresponding to thefriction roller.

While I have described above the principles of my invention inconnect-ion with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood thatthis description is made only by way of example and not as a limitationto the scope of my invention as set forth in the objects thereof and inthe accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for the automatic insertion of flat items having a uniformlength comprising: means for drawing said flat items into saidapparatus; means for feeding said fiat items out of said apparatuspositioned a predetermined distance away from said drawing means, saidpredetermined distance being shorter than the length of said flat items;a =tiltable rocker positioned above said drawing means and said feedingmeans, said rocker being pivotably mounted for movement toward eithersaid drawing or said feeding means for cooperation therewith, and meanscausing said rocker to tilt towards said drawing means when a flat itemis inserted into said apparatus and towards said feeding means when thedrawing means has pulled said fiat item into said apparatus whereby saidflat item is drawn into and fed out of said apparatus.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means forpreventing a flat item from being drawn into said apparatus by saiddrawing means when another flat item is in said apparatus.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said drawing means comprises afriction roller.

4. Apparatus for the automatic insertion of cards comprising: a tiltablebeam, means for cooperating with said beam to pull cards into saidapparatus, means for cooperating with said beam to feed cards out ofsaid apparatus, a first card sensing means adjacent said pull-in meansresponsive to the presence of a card to tilt said beam into cooperativepull-in relationship with said card pull-in means, and a second cardsensing means responsive to the presence of a pulled-in card for tiltingsaid beam into cooperative card feed-out relationship with said feed-outmeans.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said cards are perforated withfeed holes and have a uniform length, said feed-out means comprises asprocketed feed roller, and said second sensing means further comprisesmeans for initially causing a desired one of said feed holes in eachsaid card to be brought into operative relationship with said feedroller.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising means forpreventing a card from being pulled into said apparatus by said pull-inmeans while another card is in said apparatus.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising a plane surface onwhich cards are fed into and through said apparatus, guide means forguiding said cards along a predetermined path on said plane surfacethrough said apparatus and wherein said pull-in means comprises a rollerand means for mounting said roller so that the circumference of theroller extends above said surface and cards pulled-in by said roller areforced to cooperate with said guide means and follow said predeterminedpath due to the angle between the axis of said roller and saidpredetermined path.

8. Apparatus for the automatic insertion of cards having a uniformlength comprising: a first roller for pulling cards into the apparatus,a second roller for feeding pulled-in cards out of the apparatuspositioned a predetermined distance away from said first roller, saidpredetermined distance being shorter than the length of said cards, arocker positioned above and extending over both said first and secondrollers, and means causing said rocker to tilt toward and cooperate withsaid first roller when a card is fed into said apparatus and to tilttoward and cooperate with said second roller when the card is pulled-inby said first roller whereby said card is fed out of said apparatus.

9. Apparatus for the automatic insertion of cards having a uniformlength comprising: a tiltable beam disposed above the path of saidcards, means for pulling cards into said apparatus disposed below saidbeam in the path of said cards, means for feeding cards out of saidapparatus positioned a predetermined distance away from said pulling-inmeans below said beam and along the path of said cards, saidpredetermined distance being shorter than the length of a card, andmeans for tilting said beam to alternately cooperate with saidpulling-in means and said feeding-out means when a card is in operativerelationship with said pulling-in means whereby the card is pulled intoand fed out of said apparatus.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,757,928 8/1956Thomas 271-52 X 2,947,358 8/1960 Hawxhurst 271--51 X 2,988,356 6/1961Maier 27151 X 3,178,175 4/1965 Hohmann 27152 FOREIGN PATENTS 208,3 63 8/6 Australia.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Examiner.

A. N. KNOWLES, Assistant Examiner.

4. APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC INSERTION OF CARDS COMPRISING: A TILTABLEBEAM, MEANS FOR COOPERATING WITH SAID BEAM TO PULL CARDS INTO SAIDAPPARATUS, MEANS FOR COOPERATING WITH SAID BEAM TO FEED CARDS OUT OFSAID APPARATUS, A FIRST CARD SENSING MEANS ADJACENT SAID PULL-IN MEANSRESPONSIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF A CARD TO TILT SAID BEAM INTO COOPERATIVEPULL-IN RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID CARD PULL-IN MEANS, AND A SECOND CARDSENSING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF A PULLED-IN CARD FOR TILTINGSAID BEAM INTO COOPERATIVE CARD FEED-OUT RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID FEED-OUTMEANS.